Posted 3/6/17

Share +

Washington’s Early-Bloomers

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s that time of year when we will start to see some petals and color popping back into our local landscapes. We want you to know which native flowers you can expect to see in the coming month throughout the entire state of Washington. From the tiny white flowers of the Indian plum which can be seen in Seattle’s parks, to the large yellow Balsamroot flowers of eastern Washington’s canyons; read below to learn more about Washington’s true signs of spring!

Photo credit: Nicole Marcotte

Indian Plum - Oemleria cerasiformis

Indian plum – Oemleria cerasiformis

Where to find it: Low elevations west of the Cascades in open woods and along stream banks

Distinctive features: This deciduous shrub has small white flowers, which often appear before its smooth, cylindrical leaves

Cool fact: Indian plum is the first deciduous shrub to flower in the Pacific Northwest, making its flowers the true first sign of spring.

Photo Credit: Nicole Marcotte

Flowering red currant - Ribes sanguineum

Red-flowering currant – Ribes sanguineum

Where to find it: Low to mid-elevation in dry open woods, and on rocky slopes

Distinctive features: Crooked stems with brownish-red bark, and rose colored flowers that form in drooping clusters

Cool fact: Red-flowering currant is an essential native pollinator plant, and provides early spring nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Photo Credit: Nicole Marcotte

Skunk cabbage - Lysichiton americanum

Skunk cabbage – Lysichiton americanum

Where to find it: Low elevation swamps and wet forests

Distinctive features: Large basal leaves that can reach up to 1.5 m long with flowers on a thick stalk, which is hooded by a large yellow bract

Cool fact: The leaves of this plant were used by First Nations people as wax paper for wrapping food in steam pits and lining berry baskets.

Photo Credit: Nicole Marcotte

Salmonberry -Rubus spectabilis

Salmonberry – Rubus spectabilis

Where to find it: Low to subalpine elevations in wet forests and disturbed sites

Cool fact: Salmonberry is a favorite of the Swainson’s thrush, and the ripening of its berries is associated with the arrival of this thrush, which is called the ‘salmonberry bird’ in many different languages.

Photo Credit: Nicole Marcotte

Trilium - Trilium ovatum

Trilium – Trilium ovatum

Where to find it: Mossy areas, stream banks, and shaded forests

Distinctive features: Solitary flowers with three white petals and three oval to heart-shaped leaves below

Cool fact: Trillium seeds are often dispersed by ants, and its flowers will turn pink to deep red with age.

Photo Credit: Michael Franum

Common camas - Cammasia quamash

Common camas – Cammasia quamash

Where to find it: Moist meadows and open prairies

Distinctive features: Has a flower spike with purple (sometimes white) flowers that open widely at the same time

Cool fact: When Meriwether Clark first noted the camas blooms in this region, he said they resembled ‘lakes of fine clear water.’

Photo Credit: Nicole Marcotte

Arrowleaf balsamroot - Balsamorhiza sagittata

Arrowleaf balsamroot – Balsamorhiza sagittata

Where to find it: East of the Cascades in dry conifer forests and open grasslands

Nicole Marcotte

Nicole comes to us from the Northeast, where she graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies from St. Michael’s College in Vermont. She made the jump to Seattle to serve as a 2014 AmeriCorps member with EarthCorps. After a year of grubbing immense amounts of blackberry, spraying knotweed along the Cedar River, maintaining trails in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and planting plenty of native species, she realized that her true passions lie in habitat conservation and restoration. This newfound passion led her Forterra. If she’s not out frolicking through alpine meadows in her free time, you can find her in Washington Park Arboretum where she likes to create botanical-artwork from fallen flowers and foliage.

Comments

Related Perspectives — Blog

At Forterra, our work spans from securing wild places and farms, to land in the city for parks and affordable housing and creating innovative policy.

Read the latest about the work we're doing and the people and places who shape it.

An eclectic mix of artists, journalists and activists celebrated people and place at Town Hall in Seattle on Nov 6, 2014. Armchair travel through the Pacific Northwest during two hours of thoughtful, edgy, funny, political, corny, scientific and emotional storytelling at this unrehearsed event.

Twenty four people on stage. Hundreds of people in the crowd. Unrehearsed. Unedited. Thoughtful, edgy, funny, political, corny, scientific, and emotional. STORIES. The first Ampersand Goes Totally Live.

Forterra was recently awarded the prestigious Olmsted Medal of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Conferred annually at ASLA’s national conference, the Olmsted Medal is one of the Society’s premier honors.

Pollution and climate change are threatening Washington’s health, communities, economy and landscapes, and without action the challenges we face will only get more grim. Initiative 1631, which is on the statewide ballot this November, could help us make crucial moves to fight back. It’s time we stand up for our land and our future, and secure a better Washington for our generation and generations to come.

With fall just around the corner, try out some teas made from plants native to our local forests! Douglas fir, Grand fir, Stinging nettle, and Nootka rose are all great options, and the process is relatively simple.

Forterra officially closed on the last-remaining privately owned section of the popular Lake Serene Trail in October 2018. Thanks to massive community support, the purchase of this 190-acre property preserved the trees along the trail and guaranteed permanent public access to Lake Serene Trail’s breathtaking views, waterfalls, and reflective alpine lake—forever.